Warp knitting machine



Aug. 29, 1933. J. MORTON 1,924,649

WARP KNITTING MACHINE Filed May 6, 1930 4Sheets-Shee1i 1 Aug. 29, 1933. MORTON 1,924,649

' WARP KNITTING MACHINE Filed wa '6, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jive/2Z0) '(Z' M1721:

Au 29, 1933. J, MORTO 1,924,649

WARP KNITTING MACHINE Filed May 6, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Au 29, 1933. J. MORTON WARP KNITTING MACHINE Filed May G, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Ratented Aug. 2 9, 1933 -.UNITED STATES "PAT ENT oi-Picawm m'r'rmc. momma James Morton, West Lothian, Scotland Ap l cation May 6, 1930, Serial No. 450,283, and in Great Britain June 6, 1929 '16 Claims.

The present invention is a development of my prior invention forming the subject-matter of" United States Patentfiledseptember 9, 1929, No. 1,804,106.

The invention broadly consists in the provision in a warp knitting machine, of means for supplying thereto in parallel formation and in rapidv succession wefts to be bound by-the knitting needles to pillar warps to form a fabric and of 15 means for on the surface of the finished fabric; Means is, or may. be, also provided whereby these loops can be cut, or whereby certain only of the loops may be cut and others left uncut in accordance with the character of the fabric being manufactured. The loops of pile are formed in an extra set of warps which may be termed pile warps and which cc-operate with the pillar warps to bind the wefts together. Mechanism for carrying out the invention arrangedin conjunction with parts of a warp knitting machine is shown by way of example, in the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which: 30

ting machine and associated mechanism.

2 is a fragmentary view of a detail of construction. I

Figs. 3 to 7 are views to a larger scale showing different stages in one'cycle;of.. knitting operations. I

Fig. 8 is a greatly enlarged 'ctional view of the fabric knitted according to Figs. 3 to 7.

of operations in the knitting of a cut pile fabric.

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary view showing parts already shown in Fig. 1 in. combination with additional and modified parts.

Figs. 11 to are views to a larger scale than Fig. 10 and illustrating difierent stages inone cycle of operations of the parts therein shown.

.Only such parts of the mechanism are shown as will enable one skilled in theart readily to understand the. invention.

Referring generally to Fig.1, the latch needle 10 represents one of a row carried on a needlebar 10 and each needle 10 is arranged to act, in well known manner, in association with a trick-bar 11 and a warp-guiding finger 13, the fingers '13 being on a pillar-bar 12 andbeing forming loops of pile which appear Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of a warp knit that they come into operation at diflerent times Fig. 9 is a view showing one stage in thecycle adapted to lap the pillar warp threads T, which I constitute binding warps round the latch needles a at timed intervals in knownmanner.

Infaddition to the parts above described and the mechanism foroperating them, the warp knitting machine is provided with a second pillar. bar 14 carrying a row of fingers 15 which are supplied with pile yarn or thread P (i. e."pile warp) and areadapted to co-operate with the needles .10 in much the same manner as the fingers 13. r

The niimerol 1e denotes one of a row or hooks adapted, under-the control of cam mechanism hereinafter briefly described, to advance and be lapped with pile warp by the fingers 15 every second or other time these fingers are lapping pile warp round the needles 10. when the'hooks 16 are lapped with pile warp they are retracted (by the cammechanism) so that" a loop of pile is formed, this loop being knitted in with the stitches formed of the pillar warps T.

Thenumeral 17 denotes one of a row of hooks adapted to act on the pilewarps in a somewhat similar manner to the hooks 16. The hooks 1.7 however are each formed with a knife-edge 18,- the action of these knife-edges being to cut the loops-of pile after saidloopshave been knitted in with the pillar warps. g The machine may be provided only. with th hooks 16 or with the hooks 17 and knife-edges 18, but where both rows of hooks are provided their operating mechanism would be arranged so a in the working of the machine. Again.- in a machine having both rows-of hooks, eitherrow of Kooks could be rendered inoperative,'as desired, for example by removing the cams concerned.- When combined cut and uncut pile fabrics are required the loop forming hooks and the cutter hooks may be arranged to work alternately in such manner that the first motion would form the uncut pile and the. next motion the cut pile.

The numeral 19 denotes one chain of a rapidly actingchaln conveyor having two parallel chains each of the same construction. As shown,.the links of the chain 19 are each provided with a slotted projection 20 adapted to hold one-end of a length of yarn, thread or the like of weft, denoted by W. The conveyor, as a whole, feeds forward in parallel formation and" in rapid suc- 9 cession arlarge number of wefts W which are supplied to it for example, as in the manner fully set forth in the specification of my prior United States patent application Serial No. 391,369.. As described in said specification, the wefts are con- .veyed. by means of the conveyor one at a time,

' sinkers 21 on levers21= mounted on a rock shaft 21 which can-be oscillated in known manner at the proper times.

Referring now-more particularly to the warp knitting mechanism shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the needle-bar 10' is mounted on an angle bar 30 supported at eachend by a strut 31 slidably mounted in a fixed guide 32 and borne by a bell-crank-lever 33 which is fulcrumed on a fixed pin 33 and is oscillated by one of an assembly of rotatable cams conventionally shown at 34. It will be clear that oscillation of the hellcrank-lever 33 results in vertical reciprocation of the needles 10.

Each row of thread-controlling fingers 13 and 15 is carried, as aforesaid by a bar (12 or 14), and this bar is mounted on an angle bar 40, there i being one angle bar for each row of fingers. In Fig. 1, two additional angle bars and associated fingers are shown in dotted lines, and machines of this class usually have provision for fitment of as many as six bars. Each bar is supported ,at each of its ends by a slide-rod 41 slidable in a part 42 fixed to an arm 43 of a lever 43, 44 fulcrumed on aflxed pin 45. The lever 43, 44 is connected by a link 46 to a lever 4'7 which is fulcrumed on a fixed pin 48 and is controlled by oneof the assembly of cams 34. The arm 44 is continuously pulled downwards by a spring 49. Each angle bar, at one end, has an adjustable abutment 50 (see Fig. 2) which co-operates with a tappet 51 controlled by a rotatable cam 52,

- which may be one of an interchangeable set.

The tappet 51 is held against the cam 52 by a spring 53 acting on the bar 40. It will be understood that each bar 40 has its own tappet' 51, cam 52 and spring 53. The arrangement is such that, in the rotation of the cams 34, all the fingers .(i. e. fingers 13 and 15 with or without others) receive in unison an oscillatory movement around 1 the fulcrum 45; and, in the rotation of the cams .51; the individual rows of fingers independently receive a shogging movement to the extent of one needle pitch (i. e. the distance between each two adiacent needles in a row).

The above-described knitting mechanism is well-known in the art relating to warp knitting machines and need not therefore be described in greater detail. I

Each lever 21" carrying the sinkers 21 has an extension 21 which derives an oscillatory movementfrom a rod 21 actuated by one of the assembly of cams 34. The movement of the sinkers is such that they carry successive weft threads W from the conveyor to the backs of the needles 10.

The conveyor for carrying the wefts W into register with the sinkers is operated by two separate intermittent-motion transmitting mechanisms. One of these mechanisms functionsto move the conveyor chains 19 step-by-s'tep past the delivery station (i. e. in the vicinity of the knitting mechanism), a single new weft beingbrought into position at each step. This mechacrank-lever 66 for actuating the link 65, and a link 6'7 for actuating the lever 66; and the link 67 is actuated by one of the assembly of cams 24.

The other intermittent-motion transmittin mechanism functions to move the conveyor section-by-section past the weft-supplying station S, a plurality of weft-receiving projections 20 being comprised in each section; so that, when each section is stationary at the station S, the plurality of projections can be supplied with wefts simultaneously. The mechanism comprises two pairs of sprockets '70, '71 secured to shafts '72, '73 to which are keyed pinions '74, '75 meshing with a spur-wheel '76. A ring of widely spaced teeth '77 co-operates with a pawl '78 (which may consist of a spring-pressed plunger) on a pawl-carrier '79 which is connected by a link to a lever 81 fulcrumed at 82 and held by a spring 83 against a rotatable cam 84. In each rotation of this cam, the carrier '79 receives an oscillation and imparts a large portion of this in one direction to the spurwheel 76, which in turn imparts a rotational movement to the pinions "'74, .75 and sprockets '70, '71'.

The loop-forming members 16 are carried by abar 90 which has, at each end, two projections Hand 92, the former of which is pivotally connected to a'lever 93 and the latter of which is connected by a link 94 to a bell-crank-lever 95. Both of these levers 93, 95 have the same fixed fulcrum 96 and their lower ends are actuated by elements of an assembly of rotatable cams conventionally shown at 9'7. The arrangement is such that, when the assembly of cams 97 rotates, both levers 93, 95 receive appropriately 'timed oscillatory movements, the movements of the lever 93 displacing the members 16 substantially hori zontally towards and away from the needles 10 and the-movements of the lever 95 rocking the members lfiyertically.

The loop-forming and cutting members 17, 18

' are carriedby a bar 100 which is guided for vertical movement and is supported at each end by a link 101' connected to a'lever 102 which is fulcrumed on a fixed pin 103 and is actuated by one of the. assembly of cams 97. The arrangement is such that the members 17, 18 receive a simple vertical movement in the rotation of the assembly of cams 9'7.

The fabric F knitted by the needles l0 and denoted conventionally by a dotted line in Fig. 1 passes down behind the trick-bar 11 and is wound under tension on a take-up roll R.

A complete cycle'of operations of the knitting mechanism and associated parts will now be described with reference to .Figs. 3 to '7, the cycle to be described being one in which a weft W is fed The loop-cutting member 1'7, 18 is to be assumed inoperative.

Fig. 3 shows the needle 10 rising, a weft W being advanced over the needle, the fingers 13, 15 being at the left hand side of the needle and the member-l6 being in its raised and advanced position. The bars 12 and 14 are shogged towards the reader (by their cams as described with reference to Fig. 2) after whichthe meniber 16 may be withdrawn slightly with the pile Warp P lapped around it, as shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 2 also shows the weft W trapped behind the rising needie 10. The bars l2, 14 are oscillated in unison to the right and the sinkers 21 withdraw, as

shown in Fig. 4, in which the needle 10 has reached the end of its ascent. The bars 12, 14

9 shows the sinkers 21 about to remove a new weft W from the conveyer. Fig. ,7 shows the needle at the end of its descent, in which the warps P and T are both drawn through the previous loop in the warp T, thereby binding the weft W into the fabric F. Atthe same-time, the member 16 is lowered, leaving a loop L on the surface of the fabric F. In the next rise and fall of the needle 10, the bar 12 and sinkers 21 receive precisely the same motions, so that another stitch isgformed inthe warpTand aweftWisbound into this,

stitch. The member 16 remains inoperative and the bar 14 merely oscillates idly (in unison with the bar 12) and therefore the warp P is not lapped around either the member 16 or needle 10.

. By repeating the above cycle of operations. each needle of the machine knits a chain such as T and binding a weft W, and every second stitch including thewar'p P also." Between every second stitch the warp P is drawn out in a loop L. It will thus be ciearthat the machine will knit a large number of chains such as illustrated in Fig. 8 and that these chainswill allbe held together to-form a fabric by the wefts W. When the loops L have'to be cut, the membe 16 is maintained inoperativell. e. in. its withdrawn position) and the member 17 is brought into operation. The cycle performed by the knitting mechanism. is the same as described with reference toFigs. 3 to 7, except that the pile P is lapped round the member 17 while the latter is raised. The member 17 is lowered as the needle 10 descends to bind in the weft W in'loops formed in both warps P and'T (see Fig. 7) and, in rising to be lapped again with the warp P, the knife edge 18 severs a previous loop L. The action of the knife edge is aided by the fact that the fabric F is withdrawn under tension.

The fabric produced is thesame as shown in Fig. 8 eiicept that the loops are cut.

Referring now ,to Fig. 10, the-knitting mechanism therein shown comprises the parts already described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2 and worksin association with similar conveyor mech" anism for the wefts W. In addition, the knitting mechanism comprises a row of latch needles 110 arranged on a bar 110' back-to-back with respect tothe needles 10. The needles 110 are otherwise arranged and operated similarly to the needles '10, being associated witha trick-bar 111, a'bar 112 carrying warp-guiding fingers 113, an angle bar 130 carried at each end by a slidablestrut 131 in a fixed guide bracket 132, and 'a lever 133 fulcrumed at 33* and actuated by one of the assembly-of cams 34. The'flngers 113 guide addi-'- supported at each end by alever 118 fulcrumed on a stationary. pin 119 and actuated by one of the assembly of cams 34. It will be clear that, in the rotation of the assembly of cams 34, the lever 118 is oscillated and the rods 116 are raised and lowered.

If desired, the rods 116 may be replaced by members, such as the members 17- in Figs. 1 and 9, 1

having knife edges for cutting the pile loops.

Referring now to 'Figs. 11 to 15, Fig. 11 shows the needle 10 lowered and engaging loops of both 1 binding warps T andyT', a weft W beingready to advance. The needle 110 is raised and so is the loop-forming member 116. The fingers,13,'15.

and 113 are in their central position. First of all, the bar 14 shogs away fromthe reader, then -all the bars 12, 14 and 113 arerockedto-the right, the bar 14 is shogge'dback again, and all the bars are rocked back to their central position; The result of the above action is to lap the warp P round both the needle 110 and the member 116, which is now descending. This result isillustrated in Fig. 12. The bars'1 2, 14 and 112 all rock in unison to the left and are all shogge'd away from the reader, so that all the warps are lapped around the needle 110; which is descending, as shown in Fig. 13. This figureshows the member 116 still descending with its loop L and the weft W. advancing over the needle 10. Fig. 14 shows the needle 110 at the end of its descent, in which position it has carried loops of all the warps P, T and T' through the loops which previously embraced it and which are-now cast off. Fig. 14 also shows all the fingers 13, 15 and 113 rocked to the right in readiness ,for the bars 12 and 112 to be shogged towards thev reader. The needle 10 is at the end of its ascent in readiness to be lapped with the warps .T and T and has trapped behind it the weft W, which is now about to be bound into. the fabric. Fig. 15 shows the L- cast off. The needle 10 is lapped with the warps T and T' and'all the fingers 13, 15 and 113 have rocked to the left.- It 'will be obvious that, on the descent of' the needle 10, the, weft W is locked into the fabric by the warps T and T.

Thus it will be seen that the warps T and T are together knitted into the fabric by the needles 10 and 110 alternately, the former of which acts to bind-.in the'iwefts W and the latter of which acts to bind-in, the loops L. This fabric may be in general of a heavier structure than the'fabric' shown in Fig. 8, since it incorporates the addi-- tional warps T, and the structure is therefore suitable, for example, for carpet'manufacture.

I claim:-- 1. A warp knitting machine including knitting needles supplied with warps and having combined therewith means for suppl lto said needles in parallel formation and in succession wefts to be bound thereby to said warps, so as to produce a fabric, and means for forming, in

said warps loops which appear as pile on the surface of said fabric.

2. A warp knitting machine including knitting needles and means for leading' warps to said needles, in combination with means for conveying wefts towards said needles in parallel formatiomand in succession, means for transferring said wefts from said conveying means to said needles so thatv said wefts can be bound thereby to said warps so as to produce a fabric and means for forming in said warps loops which appear as pile on the surface of said fabric.

' 3. A warp knitting machine including knitting needles supplied with" warps and having combined therewith means for supplying to' said needles in parallel formation and in succession wefts to be bound thereby to said warps, so as to produce a fabric, means for forming loops in said warps during knitting and means for cutfor forming loops in said warps during knitting and means for cutting said loops or certain thereof to formpile tufts.

5. Awarp knitting machine including two sets of knitting needles arranged back-to-back and means for leading warps to said needles, in combination with means for supplying to said needles in parallel formation and in succession wefts to be bound thereby to said warpsso as to produce a fabric, and means for forming in said warps loops which appear as pileon the surface of said fabric.

'6. A warp knitting machine including two sets A of knitting needles arranged back-to-back and means for leading warps to said needles, in combination with means for supplying to said needles in parallel formation and in succession wefts to be bound thereby to said warps so asto produce a fabric, means for forming loops in said warps during knitting and means for cutting said loops or certain thereof to form pile tufts.

'l. A warp knitting machine including knitting needles, means for leading binding warps to said needles and separate means 'for leading pile warps to said needles, in combination with means for. supplying to said needles in parallel formationand in succession wefts to be bound thereby -to said binding warps so as to producea fabric and means for forming in said pile warps loops which appear as pile on the surface of said fabric.

8. A warp knitting machine including knitting needles, means for leading binding warps to said needles and separate means for leading pile warps to said needles, in combination with'means for supplying to said needles. in parallel formation and in succession wefts to be bound thereby to said binding warps so as to produce a fabric,

meansfor forming loops in said pile warps during knitting and means fort cutting said loops or certain thereofito form pile tufts.

9. A .warp knitting machine, including knitting needles and guides for leading warps to said needles, in combination with chain means for conveying wefts towards said needles inparallel for- 11. A warp knitting machine, including knitting needles, guides for leading binding warps to said needles and-separate guides for leading pile mation and in rapid succession, sinkers for transferring said wefts from said conveying means to said needles so that said wefts can bebound thereby'to said warps and pile forming hook means for forming loops in said warps.

10. A warp knitting machine, including knitting needles and guides for leading warps to said needles, in combination with chain means for conveying wefts towards said needles in parallel formation and in rapid succession, sinkers for transferring said wefts from said conveying means to said needles so that said wefts can be bound thereby to said warps, hook means for forming loops in said warps, and means for cutting-said loops or certain of them to form pile tufts.

,conveying wefts towards saidneedles in parallel warps to said fieedles, in combination with chain means for conveying wefts towards said needles in parallel formation and in rapid succession, sinkers for transferring said wefts from said conveying means to said needles so that said binding warps can be bound thereby to said warps, and hook means for forming loops in said pile warps.

12. A warp knitting machine, including knitting nee'dles,guides for leading binding warps to said needles and separate guides for leadingpile warps to said needles, in combination with chain means for conveying wefts towards said needles in parallel formation and in rapid succession, sinkers for transferring said wefts from said conveying means to said needles so that-said binding warps can be bound thereby to said warps, hook means for forming loops in said pile warps, and means for cutting said loops or certain of them to form pile tufts.

13. A warp knitting machine, including two sets of knitting needles arranged back-to-back and guides for leadingpile and other warps to said needles, in combination with chain means for conveying weftsntowards said needles in parallel formation and in rapid succession, sinkers for transferring said wefts from said conveying means to said needles so that said wefts can be bound thereby to said warps, and hook means for forming loops in said pile warps.

14. A warp knitting machine, including two sets of knitting needles arranged back-to-back and guides-for leading pile and othenwarps to said needles, in combination with chain means for conveying wefts towards said needles in parallel formation and in rapid succession, sinkers for transferring said wefts from said conveying means to said needles so that said wefts can be 15. A warp knitting machine, including two sets of knitting needles arranged back-to-back, guides for leading binding warps to the respective sets of needles and separate guides for leading pile warps to said needles, in combination with. means for formation and in rapid succession, sinkers for transferring said wefts from said conveying means to said needles so that said wefts can be bound thereby to said warps, and hook means for forming loops in said pile warps.

1 6. A warp knitting machine, including two sets of knitting needles arranged back-to-back, guides for leading binding warps to the respective sets of needles and separate guides for leading pile'warps to said needles, in combination with means for conveying wefts towards said needles in parallel formation and inrapid succession, sinkers for transferring said wefts from said conveying means to said needles so that said wefts can be bound thereby to said warps, hook means for forming loops in said pile warps, and means for cutting said loops or certainof them to form pile tufts.

JAMES MORTON. 

